Pujols to have MRI after exiting with tight calf

By Austin Laymance / MLB.com

BOSTON -- Albert Pujols left Wednesday's game against the Red Sox in the bottom of the fourth inning, the result of tightness in his right calf. The first baseman will undergo an MRI before Thursday's game, and it's unclear if he will miss any time.

"I'm feeling sore right now," Pujols said after the Angels beat the Red Sox, 7-3. "How I did it, I don't know, I can't tell you."

Pujols was 2-for-2 with a double and run before he was removed from the game with the Angels leading, 4-0.

He singled in his first at-bat but was thrown out at second base when tried to stretch it to a double. Pujols doubled in the fourth and moved to third on a groundout. He scored on a single by Mark Trumbo but was not moving well on the bases at that point.

"While I was running from second to third that's when I felt it the most," Pujols said. "I ran fine on that double and then all of a sudden I can't tell you, just one of those things. It was more when I was running from second to third, I kind of pulled up a little bit."

The slugger did not take the field when the Red Sox came up to bat in the fourth. Trumbo moved from left field to first base. Vernon Wells came off the bench to play left.

"I was just hoping it was a cramp and not something else," Pujols said. "It was sore and they didn't want to take the chance of sending me out there and make a small thing worse. It was tough because I don't like to come out of the game."
Pujols is hitting .283 with 34 doubles, 28 home runs and 86 RBIs in 121 games this season. He has not missed any games due to injury this year.

Wednesday was not the first time Pujols injured a calf muscle. He pulled his left calf in 2008 when he was a member of the Cardinals and missed 13 games while on the 15-day disabled list.

"This is nothing even close to that," Pujols said. "Hopefully [Thursday] it feels better. I'm going to ice it down tonight and do other stuff and see how it goes. It's pretty sore, so hopefully just sore and [Thursday] hopefully I feel better and play. If not, I'll just take a day [off]."

Pujols has been on the DL three times in his career and never missed more than 18 days.

Trumbo hopes 30th home run will serve as spark

BOSTON -- Mark Trumbo had his first extra-base hit in 10 games on Tuesday when he launched a two-run homer against the Red Sox. The left fielder thinks it's a sign of things to come.

Trumbo entered Wednesday with just three extra-base hits in August, all homers. He was hitting .216 in 18 games this month.

"I've been hitting the ball hard, but they're singles, hadn't had any extra-base hits in a while, but I knew it was a matter of time," Trumbo said. "Hopefully this is a turning point and a I'll have a nice month and a half."

Trumbo made some minor adjustments to his swing recently.

"I can't pinpoint one thing, but this just feels more like my swing," he said. "My swing had been over-aggressive. I tried to tone it down a bit. My biggest thing is when I get a pitch to hit I don't want to miss it. It doesn't mean I'm always going to get a hit, but I need to be in a position to attack it."

Trumbo attacked a 3-2 offering from Aaron Cook in the fifth inning on Tuesday, sending it over the Green Monster and out of Fenway Park for his 30th homer this season. The blast was estimated at 440 feet.

"That's just Trumbo -- any time he barrels up a ball that's how far it goes," Angels catcher Chris Iannetta said.

Trumbo is the first Angels player with at least 30 home runs in a season since Kendrys Morales had 34 in 2009. He's also homered in each of his three games at Fenway entering Wednesday.

Richards joins 'pen as Halos put Bourjos on DL

BOSTON -- Right-hander Garrett Richards is back with the Angels, but this time he's going to the bullpen.

The Angels recalled Richards from Triple-A before Wednesday's game against the Red Sox. Outfielder Peter Bourjos was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right wrist, retroactive to Aug. 19.

Richards started nine games before he was sent down on Aug. 2, going 3-2 with a 4.42 ERA. For now, the Angels think he can help the bullpen, which has a 5.92 ERA after the All-Star break entering Wednesday's game.

"He still has his length, but we're planning on using him out of the 'pen to see if he can be an effective piece there," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We'll take it one step at a time."

The Angels' rotation has also struggled recently, with a Major League-worst 6.56 ERA in August entering Wednesday. Richards figures to be a middle reliever, but his role could expand if he pitches well.

"He can pitch himself into more of a role in the bullpen," Scioscia said. "We're going to see where our pitching staff is and evaluate it, but right now we have our five guys and hopefully they're going to continue to move forward as Ervin [Santana] has and then see where Garrett's arm plays in our 'pen."

While Richards has made 12 starts in 17 appearances for the Angels the last two years, he's not opposed to going to the bullpen.

"I'm going to do whatever they ask me to do whether it's starting or in the bullpen," Richards said. "I'm just glad to be back."

Bourjos is hitting .227 with three home runs and 19 RBIs in 88 games this year.

Austin Laymance is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.